Is your dog is staggering like they are drunk, unable to keep their balance? If your dog keeps falling over it could be due to a number of medical issues. Here, our Boulder and Westminster vets explain causes of staggering and loss of balance in dogs.
Why does my dog keep falling over?
If your dog suddenly loses their sense of balance they could be suffering from any of the following serious health problems. If your dog is staggering or losing their balance immediate attention is required. Contact your vet right away or call your nearest animal emergency hospital.
Sensory, Vestibular & Cerebellar Ataxia
Ataxia is a condition in dogs that relates to a sensory dysfunction that results in a loss of coordination in the rear end, head, or limbs. There are three kinds of ataxia commonly seen in dogs: sensory, vestibular, and cerebellar.
- Sensory ataxia is when the spinal cord becomes compressed due to a tumor or bulging intervertebral disk.
- Vestibular ataxia results from an issue with the inner ear or brainstem.
- Cerebellar ataxia occurs when the cerebellum becomes damaged.
Signs of ataxia include staggering, stumbling and falling over, as well as flicking of the eyes from side to side, head tilt, walking in circles, vomiting, and nausea.
Canine Idiopathic Vestibular Disease
Canine idiopathic vestibular disease, also known as 'old dog vestibular syndrome', is a sudden and non-progressive disturbance of your pet's balance. This disorder stems from issues affecting your pup's vestibular system within the inner ear, and middle ear. The symptoms of vestibular disease are typically most severe during the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours, following that period your dog should begin to show notable improvement over the course of the following seventy-two hours.
Inner Ear Infection
Loss of balance in dogs often occurs due to inner ear infections. If your dog has an ear infection, you may also notice additional symptoms such as odor in or around the affected ear, head shaking and scratching, walking in circles, and eye flicking, as well as redness, swelling, or discharge.
Ear Infection
Inner ear infections are a common cause of balance loss in dogs. If your dog has an ear infection, you may also notice additional symptoms like head shaking and scratching, walking in circles, and eye flicking, as well as redness, swelling, discharge, and odor in or around the affected ear.
Injury
Injuries such as head trauma or damage to the inner ear can cause dogs to lose their balance. It can be hard to tell if your dog is injured because dogs tend to mask pain. Signs that indicate a dog is in pain include heavy panting, slowed reflexes, change in appetite, enlarged pupils, biting or licking the wounded area, anxiety, and reluctance to lie down.
Stroke
While strokes in dogs are fairly uncommon, they can happen. A stroke can be the result of blood clots, high blood pressure, hemorrhage, head trauma, kidney disease, or migrating worms. If your dog is having a stroke, you may notice a loss of balance, head tilt, circling, falling down, and loss of vision.
Brain Tumor
Brain tumors sometimes occur in dogs, especially older ones, and can lead to staggering, stumbling and general loss of balance. Other symptoms of a brain tumor depend on the location of the tumor and include changes in behavior and/or appetite, seizures, signs of pain, head tilt, swaying, a wide stance, lack of coordination, head tremors, flicking of the eye, and pacing.
Brain Inflammation
Encephalitis or inflammation of the brain can cause a dog to stagger, stumble, or fall over. This serious condition can result from fungal infections, tick-borne diseases, and parasites, among other causes. Some other common symptoms of encephalitis include fever and depression.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.